July 2026 Newsletter

Pope Leo XIV Prayer Intentions: July

For respect for human life.

Let us pray for the respect and protection of human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God.

Vincentian Celebrations

July 4^th – International Vincentian Youth Day (the feast day of Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, patron of Vincentian Youth)

July 18th – Celebration of the Virgin Mary’s first apparition to St. Catherine Labouré

July 18: The First Apparition of the Virgin Mary to Saint Catherine Labouré

Paris, July 1830. The city stirred with unrest. Tensions gripped the streets. Whispers of revolution floated through salons and alleyways alike. But while a nation teetered on the edge of political upheaval, something far more enduring was quietly unfolding behind the thick walls of a modest convent on Rue du Bac. In the stillness of night, beneath a dark Parisian sky, a young Daughter of Charity was about to encounter a moment of grace that would change her life—and the spiritual lives of millions—forever. This is the story of that night, when the Virgin Mary came in silence and light to a humble novice named Catherine Labouré.

Paris in 1830: A City on the Brink

France in the summer of 1830 was restless. The Bourbon monarchy, restored after the fall of Napoleon, had become increasingly unpopular. King Charles X faced criticism for his absolutist leanings and disregard for the common people. The streets buzzed with discontent. Workers struggled to survive, and the poor grew poorer. The seeds of the July Revolution were already sown; within days, barricades would rise.

The social climate reflected a deeper spiritual longing. Amid growing secularism and skepticism, a quiet revival was also taking place. Marian devotion was reawakening, and within the heart of the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity, a renewed fervor for prayer and service stirred quietly.

Read more here.

Q&A Section

Question:  How many times do we assist a neighbor?

Answer: There is nothing in the Rule that states that a neighbor is assisted only once, once a year, or any other directions. 

https://members.ssvpusa.org/governance-updates/ground-rules-for-visitation/

“We are asked to judge the validity of the need and the level of resources that are available to us.  We are asked to listen to what is presented, observe the surroundings, analyze the circumstances, and evaluate what we have to work with.  It is the need that is important. Is this real?  Do they really need the groceries?  Do they really need the rent help or is the rent not even due for another two weeks?  Do we have enough money to pay the portion of the bill that they cannot cover?  We are asked to make a judgment – period.” 

https://members.ssvpusa.org/formation/contemplation-only-the-father-knows-best/

“Because we can never really know the neighbor’s whole story, we also cannot know if in fact we would have made different choices ourselves in their situation.  We can only know that right now, they are suffering, and that they are for us the sacred images of that God whom we do not see and not knowing how to love Him otherwise, we love Him in their persons.” (cf. 137, to Janmot, 1836)

Honoring Erasmo

We are saddened to share of the passing of Erasmo Garza who was a longtime Vincentian that lived the charism of his faith as a home visitor, volunteer at the Clearinghouse and officer of the Queen of Heaven Conference. He served as a Vincentian for over 30 years.

Funeral Services;

Monday July 6, 2026

Queen of Heaven Parish 5311 Phoenix Ave.NE

Rosary is at 9:30am followed by Mass at 10:00am

The Fastest Nun in the West

In June, 2014, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, announced the cause for the canonization of Sister of Charity of Cincinnati, Blandina Segale had been approved.  With this, she received the title, Servant of God.  Sister Blandina Segale’s cause for canonization has cleared theological review and when approved, she will now be known as venerable.  Moving forward to canonization will require one miracle but there is evidence of many. 

“Sister Blandina started the public school and public health systems here in our state. She petitioned the territorial Legislature for the public school system here.  She never wavered in her courage. She’s somebody who confronted mobs, lynch mobs, Billy the Kid, all kinds of difficulties with courage,” Archbishop John Wester said. “The Sisters of Charity are profoundly grateful for the life of Sister Blandina and her witness of faith, courage, and care for those most in need,” said Sister Monica Gundler, president of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.

Sr. Blandina’s convent marker is at 113 N. Plaza St. NE in Albuquerque near the entry of San Felipe de Neri gift shop. 

At the End of The Santa Fe Trail is a movie that chronicles her incredible, courageous years in the American West.  A classic CBS television series, Death Valley Days,  featured Sister Blandina in season 14, episode 26, 1966 “The Fastest Nun in the West.”

From Our CFO:

Fiscal year end is approaching and we all need to start our preparation for the end of the year. Here are things all Conferences should be looking at:

- Internal audits will be required during the last two months of the fiscal year (August & September). We will use the same process as we did last year with the District Presidents overseeing the audits at district level. Audit reports will be due no later than 9/30/2026. District Presidents will receive detailed instructions from the Council in the next couple of weeks.

- Bank reconciliations need to be caught up and current. Reconciliations should be finalized within 30 days of the end of each month.

- Bank statements for each month should be properly named and filed in ServWare in the proper folder. Refer back to Council folder naming policy.

- W-9s need to be emailed to me and not held in bunches.

Thank you for all your work...it is getting easier to do this stuff every year!

Vincentian Opportunity for Servant Leadership

Blessings to All Vincentians,

In just three short months, our newly formed ASF Council Board will begin its blessed three-year term of serving the Vincentians of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

When I accepted the opportunity to serve as your Council President, my platform centered on three guiding principles: Spirituality, Friendship, and Service. Those priorities remain at the heart of our mission. To help strengthen and support our Conferences throughout the Archdiocese, I am prayerfully assembling a dedicated Executive Committee that will help us build an even stronger Vincentian presence.

At this time, I am seeking two Vincentians to serve in the following leadership roles:

Council Treasurer
Works closely with the Council Chief Financial Officer (to be appointed) to oversee the financial affairs of the Council, ensure accurate financial records, present financial reports, assist with budget preparation, and promote faithful stewardship of Society resources.

Council ServWare Vice President (New Position)
Works with the Council Chief Financial Officer (to be appointed), District Presidents, and Conferences to support the proper use of ServWare, answer questions regarding the system, and serve as the liaison between the Council and Conferences on all ServWare matters.

If you feel called to serve in one of these important positions, I ask that you prayerfully discern whether God may be inviting you to join our Executive Team. If so, I would be honored to speak with you.

Please feel free to contact me at 949-293-6357 or Dbrunner61@gmail.com.

Thank you for your faithful service to those in need and for all you do to live out the Vincentian mission.

God bless,

Denise Brunner
President-Elect
Archdiocesan Council of Santa Fe
Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Clearinghouse Thank You

The Clearinghouse would like to formally express our gratitude to the Conferences that responded to the request for twinning. Your support enables us to continue assisting neighbors in areas currently without a dedicated conference.

We would like to acknowledge the following participating Conferences:
*   Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
*   Holy Child – Tijeras
*   San Ysidro – Corrales
*   St. Thomas Aquinas – Rio Rancho
*   Annunciation
*   Queen of Heaven
*   Risen Savior/Prince of Peace

Additionally, we would like to share our service impact metrics for the period of October 2025 through June 2026:
*   Total calls received: 17,360
*   Households assisted: 554
*   Total individuals served: 1,067

Thank you once again for your dedication to our mission. May God bless you all.

Individual donations are also accepted. Checks for "St. Vincent de Paul Clearinghouse" can be mailed to 4120 Menaul Blvd. NE, Albuquerque 87110.

Conference Spotlight: St. Anne's Tucumcari

We're proud to celebrate the St. Anne's Conference in Tucumcari, who were honored by the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, City Manager, and City Council earlier this year for their dedication to serving neighbors in need.

Through the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, Tucumcari, the Conference offers a Community Cupboard filled with food and household essentials. Thanks to the generous support of the local Knights of Columbus, the cupboard is fully sponsored and continually restocked to ensure help is always available.

The Conference also provides Medical Travel Vouchers to help neighbors travel to specialized medical appointments in cities like Clovis, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, and Amarillo. Thanks to a $25,000 grant from the C.W. & Sarah D. McMullen Community Foundation awarded in May, this important program will continue helping local families access the care they need.

Thank you for making a lasting difference in Tucumcari every day.

The Bookshelf

Evicted by Matthew Desmond

Princeton sociologist and MacArthur “Genius” Matthew Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee as they each struggle to keep a roof over their heads. 

This book details the devastating cycle of housing instability, extreme poverty, and economic exploitation, arguing that eviction is not merely a symptom, but a cause of poverty. Desmond describes his methods and how he lived among the various people in the book.

He argues that stable housing is the foundation of a stable life—without it, securing employment, maintaining mental health, and raising children in a healthy environment become nearly impossible. He posits that poverty in America cannot be solved without addressing the exploitative housing market and advocates for systemic solutions such as universal housing vouchers and the right to legal counsel in eviction court.

If your District Council or Conference has special event dates, please send them to me at ljstrasburg@gmail.com so we can include them on our calendar.

Always Be Ready to Learn

You may get the Contemplation every Monday in your inbox. These are written by Tim Williams, Senior Director of Formation. These are always worth the time to read and digest. If you didn’t see the week of June 12, I want to share it and what I learned. Linda Stubbs, SA for the Council and her conference educated her conference’s Vincentians regarding the expectation that Conferences are to renew this consecration annually.

Contemplation: Heart to Heart to Sacred Heart                                         

Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which arose in the earliest days of the church, is also closely intertwined with our Vincentian history and spirituality. As Pope Francis explained, this devotion has its roots in the image of the wound in the crucified Christ’s side, which pours out blood and water as “a fountain of grace and a summons to a deep and loving encounter.” [DN, 78] Today, the formal devotion is inspired by the Seventeenth Century visions of St. Marguerite-Marie Alacoque.

St. Marguerite-Marie was a Visitation Nun, and although St. Vincent de Paul had served for many years as Spiritual Director for the Visitandines and their founder, St. Jeanne-Françoise de Chantal, Marguerite-Marie’s visions began more than a decade after his death. Yet during their lives, both Vincent and Louise both evinced a deep devotion to the Heart of Jesus in their writing and in their prayers.

Vincent taught that “on the adorable Heart of Jesus, holy humility was especially engraved,” and that our devotion to His heart could lead us to that same humility. [CCD XII 165] Even more, he urges us to remember our purpose of doing the Will of God by considering “how dear this sacred affection was to the heart of Our Lord.” [CCD XII:130] Over and over he returns to the heart, praying for “God to be the heart of your heart.” [CCD I:30] He says of prayer that “our soul has the happiness of speaking heart to heart with God.” [CCD IX:321]

St. Louise prayed for a “heart completely filled with affection in the love of the heart of Jesus Crucified,” tying her devotion, as Pope Francis taught, to the wounds of the cross. [SWLM L.156] She sought to unite herself with Him by sowing, “in the heart of Jesus, all the actions of my heart and soul in order that they may grow by sharing in His merits.” [SWLM, A.15B]

So great was the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s devotion to the Sacred Heart that in 1871, Alexandre Legentil, President of the Council of Paris, wrote what became known as the “National Vow” which helped spur construction of the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre  (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) on the highest hill in Paris. On February 5, 1872, the Society consecrated itself to the Sacred Heart, and all Conferences are expected to renew this consecration annually. [Manual, 68]

St. Marguerite-Marie’s visions offer to us the twelve promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Our hearts united to His, and also to the neighbor, may we share the hope of those same promises. As St. Louise teaches, “To help you practice the love you owe your neighbor, remember when you are together that the bond of union among you is the Blood shed by the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ.” [SWLM, M.69]

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Lord Jesus, Who, seeing the cold indifference of the world and in order to revive charity amongst all people, has unveiled before them Your Sacred Heart and revealed the infinite riches of Your Divine Love, behold us prostrate before You, we who form only one  Family, by the bond of fraternal charity, scattered, it is true, throughout the world, but united under the standard of St. Vincent de Paul, and forming only one body and one soul in the common spirit of the apostolate of charity; we dedicate and consecrate to Your Divine Person and to Your Sacred Heart this our Council (or Conference), and all the members who compose it, the poor whom we visit in Your name, the youth and children to whom we respond in order to maintain them in Your service; in a word, all those of whom we have the care, and all the works we have undertaken in various places for Your  Glory. Quite unworthy though we are, we beseech You to receive this offering in the odor of sweetness; inflame us with that fire which from the depths of Your Heart You desire to see burning more and more each day, in order that, filled with the tenderness of Your Heart, we may learn to despise things here below, to love and help our neighbor, by word and example, and that, among the vicissitudes of this world, we may fix our hearts on the riches and happiness that shall never end. Amen.

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